Wartime Memories

Historically and technically the Munich Crisis came at the end of September 1938. Talk of war, gas masks, rationing, bombs and blackout made varied terrifying tremors. As ever BBC Radio Programmes were interrupted with news of PM Chamberlain departing and returning at Heston Airport.
With 'peace in our time' echoed around the country we could not sleep well in our beds; so too Irving Berlin in London that week for the British showing of his latest musical extravaganza Alexander's Ragtime Band showing at the then Regal, Marble Arch; on screen stars Tyrone Power, Don Ameche and lovely Alice Faye introducing a new Berlin ballad' Now It Can Be Told

Dance bands on the air featured the tune that week included Carroll Gibbons Joe Loss, Mantovani, and Jay Wilbu; the latter with a very special guest the one and only Thomas 'Fats' Waller. Billy Cotton had broadcast from the Ritz Cinema, Belfast earlier in the month playing in line with most other bands the still popular Lambeth Walk from the hit show Me and My Girl. Another hid which bandleader Rudy Vallee adapted from the Italian: Oh! Ma-Ma (The Butcher Boy) with English words by Lew Brown; all the bands played and recorded same and the song was a terrific early success for the dynamic Andrews Sisters.

Meanwhile we felt the loss again - a year on from his death when two of the last songs written by George Gershwin appeared in the film The Goldwyn Follies premiere Odeon, Leicester Square, both beauties, long-lasting variety: Love walked In and Our Love is here to Stay' the latter being completed by Vernon Duke, harmonies recalled and faithfully reconstructed by George's friend ebullient piano man, Oscar Levant.

The lights of London shone especially around Oxford Circus where shoppers mingled with theatregoers en-route to the London Paladium where the entire Jack Hylton Band assembled (hear them on a fabulous set of six discs from Vocalian Records, Bringing back their entertaining expertise for all time); also on that bill marvellous comic George Robey. Debroy Somers and Band were "Running Riot" at the Gaiety Theatre; Lew Stone and His Band at the Cafe de Paris.

Queen Elizabeth launched the world's larges liner in her name on 27 September, and Hulton - for whom I worked at a later date - brought out the now fabled "Picture Post" magazine, 80 pages for 3d! Although I've never smoked, Gold Flake were 10 for 6d; 20 for a shilling" Arsenal drew with Aston Villa 0-0 on 24 September 1938. Joe Loss and his Band were at the Astoria Dance Salon, Charing Cross Road, still there, now the Mean Fiddler. Organist Sidney Torch 30 years old at the time played the massive oro-an in the just as massive Gaumont State Cinema, Kilburn, North West London.

The Quintet of the Hot Club Du France were in Variety at the London Coliseum' starry Frances Day, Adele Dixon:
Stanley Lupino and Ralph Reader paraded at the then London Hippodrome With The Fleet's Lit Up, and Bill Snibson or Lupino Lane as we knew him flung his arms around Teddie St. Denis in Me and My Girl at the Victoria Palace. Not a care in the world, there was "peace in our time".

But it was still September that actual September 1938 that composer Kurt Weill and author Maxwell Anderson and veteran actor Walter Huston gave the now all-time hit parade song of the month, one of all our favourites, the still beautiful. Breathtaking September Song.

So, many thanks for all your good wishes, it's good to be back!  

 Copied from Greater London Pensioner - Article by  Neil Stevens -